Method and system to locally cache and inform users of partial video segments and data objects

Abstract

A user device may send a request for a data file to an access point. The user device may then receive, from the access point, data indicating that a segment of the data file has been previously cached in a local cache at the access point. In response to receiving the data, the user device may display an indicator configured to indicate that the segment of the data file is cached in the local cache.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 sending, by a user device to an access point, a request for a data file; 
 receiving, by the user device from the access point, data indicating that a plurality of segments of the data file has been previously cached in a local cache at the access point, the plurality of segments corresponding to discontinuous portions at time spots spread across the data file; 
 receiving a time spot and a duration for each of the plurality of segments; 
 displaying, by the user device, at least two indicators along a time bar to indicate the time spot and the duration for each of the plurality of segments of the data file cached in the local cache, wherein displaying the at least two indicators comprises displaying a first indicator to indicate a first time spot and a first duration for a first segment of the data file cached in response to a first user snacking the data file and displaying a second indicator to indicate a second time spot and a second duration for a second segment of the data file cached in response to a second user snacking the data file, wherein displaying the at least two indicators further comprises displaying a third indicator to indicate a third time spot and a third duration for a third segment of the data file caches in response to a video producer identifying a special segment in the data file, and wherein the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment are discontinuous segments of the data file; and 
 displaying, by the user device in response to a mouse hover over one of the at least two indicators, a text string indicating that each of the plurality of segments of the data file are cached in the local cache. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the access point, that the plurality of segments of the data file has been previously cached in the local cache. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing, by the access point to the user device, data indicating that the plurality of segments of the data file has been previously cached in the local cache. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending the request for the data file comprises sending the request for the data file comprising video data. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the indicator further comprises displaying the indicator to indicate a location in the data file corresponding to each of the plurality of segments. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising caching the plurality of segments of the data file in the local cache in response to the first user requesting the data file. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising caching the plurality of segments of the data file in the local cache in response to a content provider indicating the segment. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising caching the plurality of segments of the data file in the local cache in response to a content provider indicating that the segment is the most important segment in the data file. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the at least two indicators further comprises the first indicator to indicate the time spot and the duration for the first segment of the data file cached in response to video snacking of the data file by a first user and displaying the second indicator to indicate the time spot and the duration for the second segment of the data file cached in response to video snacking of the data file by a second user. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus comprising:
 a memory storage storing instructions; and 
 a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the stored instructions when executed, cause the processing unit to:
 receive a request for a data file; 
 determine that a plurality of segments of the data file have been previously cached in a local cache in the memory storage, the plurality of segments corresponding to discontinuous portions at time spots spread across the data file; 
 provide segment data indicating that the plurality of segments of the data file has been previously cached in the local cache; and 
 provide at least two time spot and duration for the plurality of segments of the data file, wherein the processing unit being configured to provide at least two time spot and duration comprises the processing unit configured to:
 provide a first time spot and a first duration for a first segment of the data file cached in response to a first user snacking the data file, 
 provide a second time spot and a second duration for a second segment of the data file cached in response to a second user snacking the data file, and 
 provide a third indicator to indicate a third time spot and a third duration for a third segment of the data file caches in response to a video producer identifying a special segment in the data file, wherein the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment are discontinuous segments of the data file. 
 
 
 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the data file comprises video data. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the time spot comprises a start time of a segment in the data file. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein, when executed the stored instructions further cause the processing unit to cache the plurality of segments of the data file in the local cache in response to the first user requesting the data file. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein, when executed the stored instructions further cause the processing unit to cache the plurality of segments of the data file in the local cache in response to a content provider indicating the segment. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein, when executed the stored instructions further cause the processing unit to service the request for the data file and to provide service from the local cache when servicing the request requires data from the plurality of segments. 
     
     
       16. A method comprising:
 receiving, by an access point, a first request for a data file; 
 requesting, by the access point, the data file from a content provider; 
 receiving, by the access point, a first segment of the data file from the content provider; 
 caching, by the access point, the first segment of the data file in a local cache; 
 receiving, by the access point, a request for a second segment of the data file, the second segment not being contiguous with the first segment, the first segment and the second segment correspond to time spots spread across the data file; 
 requesting, by the access point, the second segment of the data file from the content provider; 
 receiving, by the access point, the second segment of the data file from the content provider; 
 caching, by the access point, the second segment in the local cache, the first segment and the second segment comprising segments of the data file that a content provider has indicated as being more important than other segments in the data file; 
 receiving, by the access point, a second request for the data file; and 
 servicing, by the access point, the second request for the data file, wherein servicing the second request comprises providing service from the local cache when servicing the second request requires data from the first segment and the second segment, wherein servicing the second request further comprises providing at least two indicators to indicate a time spot and duration for each of the first segment and the second segment wherein providing the at least two indicators comprises providing a first indicator to indicate a first time spot and duration for the first segment and providing a second indicator to indicate a second time spot and duration for the second segment of the data file cached in response to a second user snacking the data file, wherein displaying at least two indicators further comprises displaying a third indicator to indicate a third time spot and a third duration for a third segment of the data file caches in response to a video producer identifying a special segment in the data file, and wherein the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment are discontinuous segments of the data file. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein servicing, by the access point, the second request comprises providing service from the content provider when servicing the second request does not requires data from the first segment and second segment. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , wherein receiving the first request for the data file comprises receiving the first request for the data file comprising video data. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 16 , wherein caching, by the access point, the first segment of the data file in the local cache further comprises saving a start time of the first segment in the data file. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising removing, after a predetermined period of time, one of the following from the local cache: the first segment and the second segment. 
     
     
       21. An apparatus comprising:
 a memory storage storing instructions; and 
 a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the stored instructions when executed, cause the processing unit to:
 send a request for a data file; 
 receive data indicating that a plurality of segments of the data file has been previously cached in a local cache in the memory storage, the plurality of segments corresponding to discontinuous portions at time spots spread across the data file; 
 display at least two indicators configured to indicate that the plurality of segments of the data file is cached in the local cache, each of the at least two indicators being configured to indicate a time and location in the data file corresponding to each of the plurality of segments, wherein the processing unit being configured to display the at least two indicators comprises the processing unit configured to:
 display a first indicator to indicate a first time spot and a first duration for a first segment of the data file cached in response to a first user snacking the data file, 
 display a second indicator to indicate a second time spot and a second duration for a second segment of the data file cached in response to a second user snacking the data file, and 
 display a third indicator to indicate a third time spot and a third duration for a third segment of the data file caches in response to a video producer identifying a special segment in the data file, and wherein the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment are discontinuous segments of the data file; and 
 
 display, in response to a mouse hover over the indicator, a text string indicating that each of the plurality of segments of the data file are cached in the local cache. 
 
 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the data file comprising video data. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein, when executed the stored instructions further cause the processing unit to cache the plurality of segments of the data file in the local cache in response to a first user requesting the data file. 
     
     
       24. The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein, when executed the stored instructions further cause the processing unit to cache the plurality of segments of the data file in the local cache in response to a content provider indicating the segment. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein, when executed the stored instructions further cause the processing unit to cache the plurality of segments of the data file in the local cache in response to a content provider indicating that the segment is the most important segment in the data file. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein, when executed the stored instructions further cause the processing unit to:
 receive a selection of the indicator; and 
 play, in response to the received selection, a segment of the data file.